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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25853572">Fleetwood Mac Ain’t Got Nothing On Us</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/christchex/pseuds/christchex'>christchex</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Remix, they are dumb cute and in love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:14:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25853572</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/christchex/pseuds/christchex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The problem with rumors was that, sometimes, they were true. And Alex Manes sure had a lot of rumors about him floating around. This one might just be the worst.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Michael Guerin/Alex Manes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>199</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fleetwood Mac Ain’t Got Nothing On Us</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/foramomentonly/gifts">foramomentonly</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24544753">#13</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/foramomentonly/pseuds/foramomentonly">foramomentonly</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For foramomentonly, based on the absolutely wonderful meet ugly prompt… not saying this whole thing was to get them in a closet while they listen to Kyle et al. gossip about them, but that’s exactly what this was.</p><p>Thank you so much for writing the original fic, which I loved.</p><p>And thank you to the lovely lambourn for looking this over, being excited about it, and naming this thing for me. &lt;3.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The problem with rumors was that sometimes they were true. They’d been whispering the truth about him since freshman year.</p><p>-</p><p>
  <i>Alex Manes is gay.</i>
</p><p>The problem was that it was true. </p><p>It didn’t start out that way, or at least he didn’t realize that it did. It started out like every other insult in middle school: another way to say that someone is weird, or dumb, or just not the person the in-group liked that week.</p><p>Well, maybe it did start that way. Maybe there was something about him that the other kids noticed. Maybe his eyes lingered too long. Maybe</p><p>By high school, it was definitely true. He was gay. He liked other boys. He really wanted to kiss other boys, touch other boys. He noticed other boys. He noticed when they were cute, when they were fit. He noticed when their eyes followed his body too. He noticed Michael Guerin’s eyes following him, watched them as he bent down to pick up a stray pen with his tightest black jeans on. He watched as Guerin watched him carry his guitar case, the drum kit, anything from the band room to wherever it needed to go. He watched Michael Guerin’s satisfied smirk as he went on to the bus. He heard Michael Guerin’s cut off moans and his voice roughly whispered Alex’s name. He saw the hunger in Michael Guerin’s eyes as he climbed off the bus, himself smug with the taste of Michael on his tongue. He kissed Michael Guerin’s mouth hours later at the UFO Emporium.</p><p>The museum became one of their spots, a refuge for them where they could be together and where no one would find them. Almost no one went to the museum anyway. Alex could spend his shift there in the front box office and Michael could sit by his side, homework out on the floor next to him. Alex would throw Michael smiles as the occasionally local would come and ask to use the bathroom. Alex didn’t think they could see much inside the box office, so he didn’t ever ask Michael to hide. Not even when Phillips, tight end on the football team and a constant presence at Valenti’s side, came up and asked to use the bathroom. He just stood up and moved to let him in, same as he would any other local, before he went back to his chair and to Michael.</p><p>-</p><p>The problem with rumors was that sometimes they were true. The problem with high school was that teenagers could be cruel.</p><p>-</p><p>
  <i>Alex Manes kissed Michael Guerin behind the alien museum.</i>
</p><p>“Guerin, I have to go to work,” Alex breathed against Michael’s lips. Michael’s hands just tightened their grip on his hips. Michael snuck his foot around Alex’s leg so that he couldn’t take a step back.</p><p>“Not yet, you’ve still got a few minutes,” Michael said before he took Alex’ bottom lip between his teeth. “We’ve got a little bit of time.”</p><p>Alex groaned as he felt a light sting where Michael had nipped before Michael had pressed a light kiss to his swollen lip. “I’m going to look like a mess when I go in there and my coworker will know exactly what I was doing,” Alex complained, but that didn’t stop him from moving in for another kiss.</p><p>“She’s like, sixty years old. I’m pretty sure the only thing she’ll think is that youths today don’t care about their appearance,” was Michael’s counter argument, punctuated with yet another kiss.</p><p>Alex leaned his head back to look at Michael. He had a curl in his eye, one that had been tickling Alex only minutes earlier. If Alex looked past the curl, he could see just how much Michael wanted him in that moment, and Alex was starting to learn every other moment as well.  Alex brushed the curl from his eye and laughed a little after it sprung right back in place.</p><p>“You’re still picking me up after work, right?” Alex asked as he shook his leg to get Michael to release his foot.</p><p>“Yeah,” he said as he let his hands slide from where they rested on his hips. His left hand did a quick, daring squeeze to Alex’s ass before it dropped back down to Michael’s side. “Your boss will be there today, right?”</p><p>“Yeah, can’t risk you staying. We’ll work on those calc problems later though, right?”</p><p>“Definitely,” Michael said with a grin. He did a slight hop as he turned in the opposite direction of the UFO Emporium’s front door. Alex just shook his head at Michael’s silliness.</p><p>He didn’t turn around when he heard Wyatt Long’s snarled “Watch where you’re going” or for Michael’s retort of “fucking asshole”. He just walked into work, ready for his 5 hour shift to be over.</p><p>-</p><p>The problem with rumors was, rumors always grow.</p><p>
  <i>Alex Manes sucked off Michael Guerin in exchange for the answers to his calculus exam.</i>
</p><p>It was Liz who pulled him aside first, as she almost flew right by him. She grabbed his arm and swung herself around to face him.</p><p>“Hey, I just want you to know that I’ve told everyone it was a lie. I’m trying to put a stop to it,” she said in one breath. “But also, I’m about to be late to history. I’ll talk to you at lunch.”</p><p>She was gone before Alex could even open his mouth to ask her what she was talking about.</p><p>It was Maria who actually told him the rumor.</p><p>She plopped down next to him in their shared study hall and immediately turned to face him.</p><p>“The rumor is that you sucked off Guerin to get his help in calc and that’s why you’re getting such good grades.”</p><p>He couldn’t even be mad at her for not saying ‘hi’. This was kinda big news.</p><p>“Yeah,” she said to his wide eyes. “I mean, obviously I told everyone that was bullshit. Fuck, even Valenti admitted that you were stupidly good at math. But I heard the rumor from a junior in my theater class, so this shit is already spreading to other grades.”</p><p>Alex stared at her for a second longer before he turned and let his head fall to the table. The thump was muffled by his open textbook. He let a barely audible ‘fuck’ slip out of his mouth. He closed his eyes, blacking out the blurry words of his physics textbook. He felt Maria rub his hand up and down his back, soothing and calming. The problem right now though, was that the rumor wasn’t that far off the mark.</p><p>“The ice queen is already on the rumor,” Maria said, hand still rubbing circles into his back. “No way she’s letting any rumors about Guerin go unrefuted. I’m sure it’ll be gone by tomorrow at the latest.”</p><p>Alex lifted his head only to see Michael Guerin’s eyes on him from across the library. His curls were in his eyes, but Alex could see his expression still. He could see his worried brows and where he was biting his lip. Alex looked at Isobel Evans next to him, her talking quickly, completely uncaring about the proctor glaring at her from the front of the room. Alex watched as Michael pulled out his banged up flip phone, prepaid with just enough credit to send a few texts a day. A moment later Alex felt his phone buzz in his pants pocket.</p><p><b>M:</b> what do you think we should do about it?</p><p>Alex looked down at his phone and then looked up at Michael. He was ignoring whatever Isobel was saying to him. Instead, his eyes were fixed on Alex.</p><p>Maria, hand still rubbing Alex’s back, looked at where his gaze was.</p><p>“Well, that look Guerin is giving us isn’t going to help the rumors at all,” she said, flippant.</p><p>Alex had to close his eyes again. It wasn’t her fault that she didn’t know. He never told her.</p><p>The problem with the rumor was entirely that it was only half false. Alex didn’t need anyone’s help with calculus, not even teen genius Michael Guerin’s help. Alex <i>did</i> give him a blowjob in the single occupancy bathroom next to the band room the day before. And Guerin had given him a handjob at work the day before that, and they’d been seeing each other in stolen moments ever since that field trip and the bus and...</p><p>Alex was still amazed at his audacity on the bus, in public. He couldn’t regret it though, not when it led to Michael pressing him against the box office door at the museum kissing him, holding him.</p><p>“Maria,” Alex whispered to her, more fearful of the study hall proctor than Isobel Evans was, “it’s not entirely wrong.”</p><p>She frowned. “We both know you don’t need help with your math-” She cut herself off. Her eyes grew wide. “Holy shit Alex. You?” She asked, reaching the right conclusion. He nodded. “Oh my god! Good for you!” Her voice was still a whisper, but her voice grew high with excitement. She looked at Guerin again. “So, what are you gonna do about it?”</p><p>Alex looked back at his phone.</p><p>“I don’t know, but right now I’m going to the bathroom and freak out quietly to myself.”</p><p>He walked to get a pass from the proctor. Once he was in the hallway, he bolted.</p><p>-</p><p>The problem with rumors was that they constantly changed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>Michael Guerin would do anything for some cash, including give Alex Manes a handjob.</i>
</p><p>“Alex?” Michael called softly as he closed the bathroom door. A moment later his head snuck around the corner of the privacy wall that blocked the bathroom from view. His voice was nervous, his expression tense. It relaxed a little when he saw Alex. He didn’t say anything as he took Alex in.</p><p>Alex could only imagine what he looked like. Frantic, maybe. His eyes in the mirror were wide and shining. His hair was a mess from where his fingers had pulled his hair, the sweat from his palms helping to wash off the gel. His eyeliner was intact, which was better than Alex had expected.</p><p>He didn’t see Michael move fully into the bathroom. He just felt Michael wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. Alex clung back to him. He felt Michael kiss his cheek. Alex closed his eyes and clung to him tighter.</p><p>“Hey,” Michael whispered in his ear. “You ok?”</p><p>Alex didn’t answer right away. Instead, he simply held Michael in his arms and enjoyed the feel of him. He nuzzled his head into Michael’s neck and took the moment to breathe. He smelled like desert rain and Alex wanted to lose himself in the smell for as long as he could. Michael let the moment linger before you pulled back enough to see Alex’s face.</p><p>“Seriously, you ok?” Michael asked with a voice full of worry.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Alex admitted. He watched as Michael’s eyes scanned his face trying to find something in his expression that gave away how he felt. He dropped his eyes so that Michael couldn’t see just how upset he was. “I could ignore it, the dumb shit they said about me, when it was only me. But now they’re bringing other people into it.” He tried to contain his shudder at the idea that Michael would get the same kind of treatment that Alex received daily. Alex could deal with that for himself, he couldn’t deal with watching people throw insults and fists Michael’s way. “And if this is the shit they’re starting with it’s only going to get worse, whatever they say about us will get worse.”</p><p>Michael nodded his agreement as Alex spoke. It was true. The rumors ran rampant at Roswell High, and if the fact that they already jumped from rumors of Alex’s sexuality right to something so explicit, it would only get worse from there.</p><p>Alex felt Michael’s hand on his cheek. He ran his thumb across Alex’s cheek until Alex finally met his eyes.</p><p>“We’ll do whatever you think is best,” Michael said as he leaned in to give Alex a soft kiss. “Whether it’s ignoring the rumors, pretending we aren’t together, or telling everyone. Whatever you want, ok?” Alex nodded and Michael leaned in for one more kiss.</p><p>“I’m afraid of telling everyone,” Alex admitted. “If they’re this awful now, I don’t know what they’ll do if they find out any of it’s true. And I don’t know if someone will go and tell my dad.” Alex’s voice grew quiet at the end. For all that he projected an air of fearlessness, he was terrified.</p><p>Michael ran his hands up and down Alex’s arms, soothing. “I don’t know about your dad,” Michael said. Alex had told him the bare minimum about his home life, just as Michael had. They knew it was bad for the other and that was enough. “But for the assholes at our school? Half of them are too scared of you since you punched Valenti at Homecoming and the other half are cowards who won’t say shit if you don’t react to them. It’s still your choice though, ok? I’m not the one they’re accusing of prostitution.”</p><p>At that Alex groaned. “Seriously, of all the rumors they could come up with, me needing help with calculus is the dumbest one.”</p><p>Michael laughed. “I’m glad you agree. It is really dumb. Besides, I’d help you even without the blowjob, if you really needed it. And I know you’d blow me just because,” Michael added with a grin.</p><p>Alex brought his hands to his chest and shoved him away. “You are the worst Guerin!” There was laughter in his voice. “See if I let you hang out at the emporium after school today.”</p><p>Michael laughed in response. He moved to wrap and arm around Alex again, this time spinning them until they were against the bathroom wall, the supply closet next to them. Alex had a grin on his face for the first time since Liz ran into him in the hallway. “There’s that smile,” Michael said as he pressed Alex into the wall. “Been missing it all morning,” he added before he leaned in for a kiss. Alex still had a smile on his face as Michael’s lips met his.</p><p>“The worst, Guerin,” Alex murmured between their lips. They were only kissing a moment before they heard the hallway door open. Alex held back his curse as he felt Michael’s arm around his waist tug him into the supply closet, door propped barely a quarter of the way open. Alex followed the tug without hesitation.</p><p>“The closet, really?” Alex asked as Michael maneuvered them by the mop, bucket, and broom so that they were in the shadows of the closet with the cleaning supplies and stacks of toilet paper at their back.</p><p>“Where else did you want us to go?” Michael asked into Alex’s ear. They were pressed together as tight as they could so that they couldn’t be seen through the partially open door. They heard loud, indistinct voices echo off the bathroom tile.</p><p>They heard Phillips’ voice as the group of guys made their way around the privacy wall and into the bathroom proper.</p><p>“I’m telling you guys, it’s true. Martinez saw Manes’ grade on that calculus exam and there’s no way he got that without some help.”</p><p>“Just because you’re failing math doesn’t mean everyone else sucks at it,” Kyle Valenti replied. Michael shot Alex a confused look, one which Alex returned. “Manes is good at math, always has been. He definitely doesn’t need Guerin’s help.”</p><p>Alex let his eyebrows furrow in confusion. It was a cold day in hell when Kyle Valenti defended Alex Manes.</p><p>“I’m telling you, I saw them at the alien place. Guerin was sitting there, on the floor. What else could be going on. And Long said he saw them there too! There’s no fucking way they weren’t up to something coming out of the alley like that.”</p><p>Michael let out a low ‘fuck’ into Alex’s ear at that. Alex had to agree. If they saw them, the rumors weren’t based on the rampant homophobia around them. It was based on the truth and they were not careful enough. Honestly, they really weren’t careful at all, too excited to see each other and too anxious in their need to touch.</p><p>“I’m just saying that it wouldn’t be over a calculus exam,” Valenti said over the sound of the sink running. “It would be something else, like Guerin needing money.” Alex felt Michael tense at that. “He’s living out of his truck, isn’t he? Bet he offered to fool around with Manes for some money, not like that homo would say no.”</p><p>Alex was furious. He moved to take a step back, moved so that he could go out there and punch Kyle Valenti right in the jaw again, maybe he’d aim higher and break his nose. He felt Michael’s arm tighten around him. He felt Michael’s leg wrap around his calf so that he can’t move without tripping.</p><p>“Alex no,” he whispered into his ear. “It’s not worth it.”</p><p>“Like hell it isn’t,” Alex growled back. Luckily, it was drowned out by the sound of the hand dryer.</p><p>They heard Phillips laugh. “You’re probably right man. Fuck, I would never be that desperate.”</p><p>Valenti didn’t respond to that verbally. Instead they heard him say “Gross dude, you really aren’t going to wash your hands?” before the sound of footsteps on tile echoed followed by the sound of a closing door.</p><p>Alex felt Michael’s leg move. He took a step back and moved to leave the closet. Michael caught his hand and held it as they moved back into the bathroom.</p><p>“Please don’t go and punch Valenti,” Michael said, voice serious. “I hate him too, but I really don’t want you to get suspended for starting another fight with him.”</p><p>“He would deserve it,” Alex argued. He knew Michael agreed, Valenti deserved every punch in the face he got. However, Alex also didn’t want to get suspended. Suspension meant that he didn’t see Michael until he was back at school. “Fine, I won’t start a fight with Valenti.” Michael thanked him with a squeeze of his hand. “But if he says something to my face I’m not making any promises.”</p><p>Michael smiled. “I can accept that.” He looked down at their joined hands and his eyes moved to the watch around Alex’s wrist. “Fuck, we have to get back before Mrs. Young says we’ve skipped.”<br/>
-</p><p>The problem with rumors is that you can’t control them.</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>Alex Manes and Michael Guerin fucked on the bus coming home from a field trip.</i>
</p><p>Alex did nothing through the rest of study hall. He kept his head down and let Maria absently stroke his hair as she finished her reading for AP Art History. He knew that there had to be looks thrown his way but he didn’t care. He needed a moment, several moments in fact, to calm down and figure out what he wanted to do.</p><p>He moved from study hall to history to math to literature. He still didn’t figure it out by the time he got to lunch. He kept his head down in the lunch line and did not look around as he moved towards the table he normally sat at with Maria and Liz. He ignored the jeering from Valenti’s table and then the insults from Long’s table that came after.</p><p>He looked up as he approached their usual table, only to see Michael’s mess of curls at the table next to it. Michael, still panting from his usual late run into the cafeteria, smiled at him as he moved to walk around the table. He didn’t have lunch in his hand, he usually didn’t, and Alex couldn’t get Valenti’s words from the bathroom out of his head. </p><p>Fool around with Manes for some money. As if that was the only reason either of them would be together. It was so much worse than the rumor about blowjobs and calculus tests and Alex couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t stand the thought that he would use Michael like that, even if it was only a rumor from a high school bully’s mouth. He hated it.</p><p>He sped up his walk so that he could grab Michael’s wrist before he was too far away. Michael stilled. Alex moved his hand so that his palm moved down, palm grazing Michael’s palm, so that their fingers could entwine. Alex’s eyes were down, focused on his hand around Michael’s. He swallowed down this fear. The blood was pumping through his ears so loudly that there was nothing else he could hear. He could hear the jeers around him, or even the supportive claps and cheers from around the cafeteria. All he heard was the rush of blood. All he felt was Michael’s hand in his and the little squeeze Michael gave his hand before Michael used it to pull them close together.</p><p>“Hey,” Michael said, close to his ear.</p><p>“Hey,” Alex said back, voice muted by Michael’s shoulder.</p><p>“You ok?” Michael asked, still low in his ear. His curls brushed against Alex’s jaw. Alex nodded into his shoulder. “This what you want?”</p><p>“I’m not ashamed of you,” Alex whispered back.</p><p>“I didn’t think you were, but this is a lot more attention than you get, normally. I know the sweaters are designed to stand out, but even this is a lot.”</p><p>“I couldn’t stand the idea that they thought we’d only be together if one of us was paying. Fuck them for whatever rumor they come up with, but that one I couldn’t- I just couldn’t.”</p><p>“That’s ok,” Michael said as he moved his head just enough to give Alex a kiss on his temple. “It wasn’t the worst rumor they ever started about me.” Alex poked his side at that. “Yeah, I know. Not actually the point.” He pulled away slightly, hand still firmly grasped in Alex’s. “I like everyone knowing. And now whatever dumb rumor they come up with next will be the boring, regular kind of dating rumor.”</p><p>Alex nodded as he pulled away a little more. “Have lunch with me today?”</p><p>Michael smiled. “Of course.”</p><p>They slipped into two spots open next to each other, hands still together. Alex laid his lunch out between them: a sandwich made from last night’s leftovers, a slightly bruised apple he had been avoiding eating, and carrot sticks he had to eat dry because he forgot to bring ranch again. Michael smiled at him as he grabbed the apple. Alex brought it for him anyway.</p><p>“Did you stay late in shop again?” Alex asked as he picked up one of his sad carrot sticks.</p><p>“Oh yeah, Mr. F is letting me fix the sound boards in the auditorium, so I had to run from there here.”</p><p>Alex shot him a look. “Are you fixing them because you’re tired of listening to me complain about them every time the school has anything in that room?”</p><p>Michael didn’t deny it. He just smiled at him and took another bite of his apple. Alex smiled at him in response.</p><p>“Aw, you two are cute,” Maria said. Alex hadn’t even seen her sit down. “It’s almost gross.” Maria reached over to steal some of his carrot sticks. She placed her french fries in front of him and Michael. “They are going to have a field day- our first out gay couple.”</p><p>Michael made a face at that.</p><p>“Our first out queer couple,” Alex said after he had a fry. “I mean, yeah we’ll get the normal couple gossip with bonus small minded homophobia, but it will die down.” Alex said with confidence that he did not necessarily feel. He knew this would be hard, but he had Michael and they had their friends. It would be ok.</p><p>“I mean, yeah. Since the newest rumor going around is that you two fucked on the bus on the way back from the field trip the other week.” Michael and Alex both froze at that. Maria just kept eating her veggie burger.</p><p>That one… was less a rumor and more just true.</p><p>Michael recovered first. “How would that even work? Those seats are tiny and everyone is so close.”</p><p>“Rumors do not care about logistics,” Isobel cut in as she took a seat across from Michael. She shot Maria a look, a less contemptuous look than she normally would. “They care about being titillating and outlandish. Besides, you could always sit on his lap.” She stabbed at her salad in front of her. “That would work in the space. But the prep.” She shook her head. “Definitely a straight kid rumor, that one. No concept of prep.” She took a bite of her salad and blatantly ignored everyone’s stares.</p><p>“Hello Isobel,” Alex said. “Nice to see you.”</p><p>“Why are you here?” Michael asked.</p><p>“If you’re dating the reigning emo king, then that means <i>I</i> have to spend time around him and his merry band of outcasts.”</p><p>“You really don’t,” Maria said from next to her.</p><p>“I’m a package deal with Michael, get used to it.” She sighed. Alex could feel the disdain held in that breath from across the table. “Besides, Max will be <i>thrilled</i> that we’re sitting here now. Apparently.” She shot a look at Michael who responded with a grin as he brought their still clasped hands onto the table.</p><p>“Speaking of, where’s Liz?” Alex asked as he started to look around the cafeteria. It was already ten minutes into the period and Liz was never late.</p><p>“She said she’d be here,” Maria responded as she craned her next to look. A loud shout caught their attention. They all turned their head to look at the crowd around Valenti’s usual table.</p><p>“Oh,” Alex said. “Shit.”</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>The problem with rumors is that sometimes they’re true,</p><p>
  <i>Liz Ortecho broke up with Kyle Valenti.</i>
</p><p>“You wouldn’t believe what he said,” Liz ranted later at The Crashdown. “My friend- who used to be his friend!- is happy and has a boyfriend and he goes around-“ Liz moved to her angriest Spanish that Alex had a hard time following. Judging by Maria and Rosa’s faces, it’s better that he doesn’t know what Kyle Valenti said. “How can he go around dating me, being nice to me, and doing that to my friends?”</p><p>“He’s a dick,” Rosa offered from her place at the head of the table. They were all crammed into one place: Liz, Maria, Michael, and the Evans Twins. Alex was practically sitting in Michael’s lap to give them enough room. He wasn’t complaining.</p><p>“Sorry to have to agree,” Isobel said around her milkshake. “He is a huge dick. And from what I hear, he’s not actually huge.” She looked at Liz as if to confirm this fact. Max was bright red next to her, too embarrassed to speak at all.</p><p>“Gonna need the talk about Kyle Valenti’s dick to end,” Alex said after he let everyone stew in the awkward moment.</p><p>Alex felt Michael’s hand land on his knee. He turned his head to look at him, but Michael just threw him a sunny smile instead.</p><p>“I am going to have to agree,” Rosa said as she stood up. “I’ve got tables that I would much rather bust than listen to this.”</p><p>She walked away and the conversation around the table dissolved into groups, with Max and Liz talking about their biology project, while Maria and Isobel argued about what the prom theme should be. Alex let himself fall back so that his back was to Michael’s chest. Michael’s hand slid from his knee to his thigh.</p><p>“Guerin no,” Alex laughed, voice quiet so that the others couldn’t hear them above their conversations.</p><p>“Guerin yes,” Michael smiled back as he brought his hand higher before it slipped to the inside of his thigh.</p><p>Alex turned his head so that he was talking directly into Michael’s ear.</p><p>“We are not doing this in front of our friends.”</p><p>“Absolutely not,” Michael agreed. His palm started to massage his thigh. “But we can totally do this in the bathroom though.</p><p>Alex paused to think about it. He brought a hand up to give the stubborn curl that always fell into Michael’s eyes a pull. “Ok, let’s go.” Michael grinned at him.</p><p>“Excuse us guys,” Michael said, extremely obvious and unrepentant about it. “Alex and I have to go do something. Be back later!” He stood up and took Alex with him. Once they were standing, he grabbed Alex’s hand and started to move them to the back of the diner.</p><p>“Holy shit, they are not subtle.” Maria said into the silence that followed. “Like, some of those rumors are starting to make a little bit of sense, if that’s how they’ve been acting.”</p><p>Isobel watched them go, eyes narrowed. Her eyes widened, not in her exaggerated way but with the sincerity of a shattering realization.</p><p>“Holy shit, they were <i>true</i>.”</p>
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